By Eugenie Lewis, August 30, 2026 Photo: Eugenie Lewis and Jane Fonda, Los Angeles, August 2026 I have long admired Jane Fonda in many ways — her acting achievements, her focus on health, and now as an environmental advocate. It was a particular privilege for me to recently have the opportunity to meet her at an event in Los Angeles, where she shared some of her work to elect climate champions. This was an emotional event for me to have the opportunity to meet her in person.

Image Credit: Climate Reanalyzer, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine (data: ERA5). Daily global surface air temperature anomaly, [August 24, 2026] For decades, climate scientists have been warning the public about the extreme heat events we will face in the future. Yet this summer, their predictions materialized into an inescapable reality, with widespread droughts and heatwaves disrupting lives across the globe. July of 2026 tied with 2024 to be the hottest month

Arctic Caribou Climate Policy at the Midyear Mark As the midpoint of the year comes to pass, we have the opportunity to review the progress governments have made in recent months to address climate change. A 2025 study from Yale University found that 63% of American adults are worried about climate change, making environmental initiatives an important factor for many voters. Furthermore, MIT estimates that rising temperatures can cost American households over $1,300 annually,

Dolphin Story Living a stone's throw away from the ocean, it was my playground and comforted me in times of stress. As I grew up, I started to become frustrated seeing trash and food waste around my school, knowing it can end up in storm drains that lead to the ocean. Since the ocean always supported me, I felt it was my turn to inspire others to protect it. I decided to start by implementing composting and recycling bins across my campus to protect the ocean and marine life

Image Credit: World Meteorological Organization The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently issued an advisory for a strong El Niño event this year, expected to peak from November to January. El Niño is a phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, which occurs when surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific exceed 0.5°C above average. NOAA's Oceanic Niño Index has tracked an anomaly of +1.7°C as of June 17, 2026, and experts anticipate

Adapted from Deepti Kannapan's article Social Tipping Points and Climate Action dispatch on Medium What if the slow, frustrating pace of climate progress is actually normal — and a breakthrough is closer than we think? That's the insight behind social tipping points; a concept explored in depth by writer and aerospace engineer Deepti Kannapan. A tipping point — or "phase transition" — is what happens when incremental changes in a system quietly build until they reach a critic

By: Eugenie Lewis When most people think of a green building, they picture solar panels and energy-efficient windows. But green buildings are actually much more than that — and they're creating some of the most exciting career opportunities of the next decade. The Opportunity California is in the middle of a construction revolution. According to the Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS) initiative, an estimated 4 million green jobs are projected to emerge in California o

By: Monique Dimitrova Each year, California produces around 1.46 trillion gallons of wastewater — roughly 4 billion gallons every single day. Sewage is the wastewater from inside people's homes, businesses, and corporations, including waste from sinks, toilets, showers, and washing machines. As California faces chronic drought conditions, water is becoming an increasingly limited resource. It is crucial to implement sustainable practices that recycle our water so that we have

By: Nadia Hossain Photo Courtesy of Treehugger With recent economic challenges and the current administration’s stance towards climate change, “green jobs” or “green careers” have often been an overlooked aspect of this. However, the environmental field has multiple paths for career opportunities as older generations step down from previous careers they may have held. Gravitating towards a more environmentally conscious culture, allows for more green careers to prevail and e

By Hannah Jang As climate change intensifies and artificial intelligence(AI) rapidly changes the demand for education, schools around the world deliberate how to prepare students for a more sustainable future. From AI-powered climate simulations in U.S classrooms to global policy efforts in the promotion of digital learning, technology is increasingly used to develop education regarding the environment. At the same time, it raises new questions on ethics, access, and how AI s

By: Kai Parr Photo Courtesy of TreeHugger Seaweed refers to thousands of species of marine algae with many people around the world consuming it as a part of their daily diet. There are many different ways to enjoy seaweed, as people use it to make sushi, salads and more. According to Harvard Health, “Nutrients that seaweed can contain include iron, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B9, iodine, vitamin K, fiber, DHA and EPA (healthy omega-3 fatty acids), potassium, and

By: Nadia Hossain Why does the city feel hotter than the countryside? The answer lies in the concrete jungle in front of you. As temperatures climb, a phenomenon called the "urban heat island" makes cities and suburbs significantly warmer than nearby rural areas. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), daytime temperatures in cities can run 1 to 7°F hotter than their greener surroundings. At night, some urban areas stay as much as 22°F warmer than rural z

By: Eugenie Lewis Hello! I am a Climate Reality Leader and co-chair of the Youth Climate Action Network (YCAN). I also work as a community health professional and youth counselor with allcove Beach Cities and Creative Life Mapping in Redondo Beach. My journey in environmental action began in 1970, when I participated in the first Earth Day. As a high school student in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I helped organize an “Environmental Teach-In” exploring the impact of pollution on hum

Photo courtesy of: Surfrider Foundation By: Maya Nawachi Tiny particles that are a myriad of colors scatter through the ocean. While some are visible to the naked eye, most of them can only be seen with a microscope. Microplastics. Microplastics are plastics that are smaller than 5mm or less than the size of a pencil eraser. They come from synthetic fibers in clothing, microbeads in exfoliates, and the degradation of larger plastic particles through UV, wind, and waves. Aro

By: Grace Choi What do the common dandelion, the tall wild mustard, and the seemingly innocuous grey squirrel have in common? You guessed it! (maybe…) They are all invasive species in Southern California. Often overlooked, invasive species are a staple in our surroundings, yet have tangible impacts on our native preserves and wildlife spaces. When encountering invasive plants, it is usually best to uproot and dispose of them completely, especially if you find them on your pr

by Grace Choi As Google and OpenAI build highly advanced AI tools such as Gemini and ChatGPT, they also build large energy-guzzling data centers that contribute to climate change . In contrast, Ecosia, a German search engine and organization, uses 100% renewable energy from solar plants to power its AI. However, its eco-friendly AI is only the tip of the iceberg: Ecosia is dedicated to planting trees to preserve our planet, directly funding global efforts to plant trees thr

by Eshaal Sultan As April begins, people around the world prepare to celebrate Earth Month, leading up to Earth Day on April 22. This time of year is not just about planting trees or cleaning up parks—it is also about protecting biodiversity, which means the variety of living things on Earth. Biodiversity includes all plants, animals, insects, and even tiny microorganisms, and each plays an important role in keeping ecosystems balanced. For example, bees help pollinate plants

by Avinash Prasad On May 23, 2024, during LA Fleet Week, four hundred seventy nine male and female Palos Verdes Blue butterflies were released into a restored habitat at the Defense Fuel Support Point in San Pedro. The release was the result of a partnership between the Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College, the US Navy, the US Defense Logistics Agency, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Urban Wildlands Group, and the City of Ranc

The first offshore wind farm was built in 1991 in Denmark covering the annual electrical consumption of around 2,200 households, setting a precedent to the modern offshore wind farms that are being built today. Offshore wind farms are groups of wind turbines that are located on the ocean and different from onshore wind farms which are wind farms on land that often use large swaths of unused lands. Unlike more traditional means of generating electricity such as oil, coal and

Renewable energy is becoming one of the most important answers to today’s environmental problems. As climate change, air pollution, and limited natural resources continue to affect communities, switching to cleaner energy sources is more important than ever. It helps protect the planet while also shaping the future of technology and innovation. Renewable energy comes from natural sources that do not run out, such as sunlight, wind, water, and heat from the Earth. Unlike fossi